A River in Shalott
by FaylinnNorse
Summary: A retelling of the poem, The Lady in Shalott. Um, summaries are evil, so that's all I'm going to say, just read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Well, recently I've been very entranced with the poem The Lady of Shalott, so I decided to write a story on it. I know that this probably isn't really the place to put it, but as I read the poems certain things reminded me of some fairytales, so I'm going to incorporate them into my tale. But if anyone things it should be posted elsewhere, please tell me and I will move it.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Lady of Shalott or fairytales.

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The child stood on the river bank, cold tears slipping down her cheeks and to her chin, only to drop into the water, then rippling out in endless circles. Behind her, the crowd of people remaining from the funeral huddled together, trying to block themselves from the cold wind. After a time, they all left, back to their own warm homes and fires, none of them grieving as the little girl.

"Evadne, come, we must get inside. Mistress will be waiting for you," the governess addressed the child.

The girl sighed and slowly turned from the river. She loved the river, just as her father before her had. The thought only made it hurt more. She walked over to the new grave. "Goodbye, Papa," she whispered.

Her governess took her hand and they started to walk. Evadne looked at the cold, grey manor. It had never looked less friendly. She doubted her step-mother would be kind, even on such an occasion as this. In fact, she would probably be even less kind than usual, excusing it as grieving for her husband. Evadne could not imagine that the woman could feel anything even comparatively close to what she was feeling.

Her father was her best friend, her only friend, actually. She'd never gone far from the manor and never really met other children. She didn't mind, though. Her father was the best playmate she could ever have. Especially before he married Lady Addelin, and hired Sara as a governess. Not that Sara was particularly boring or cruel, but no one could never replace dear Papa.

They walked up the steps and through the big, stone doors of the manor. They then went to Lady Addelin's parlor, standing just outside the door, so as not to interrupt the small party of friends gathered inside. Lady Addelin saw them and immediately got up and came out into the hallway.

The lady was beautiful, but she was cold and far away-looking. She had long black hair and black eyes, but her skin was a snowy white. It gave her a very dramatic and contrasting appearance.

"So you have finally come inside, Evadne," the lady said. "Good. I don't see how why you chose to stay at that dull, cold funeral for so long."

"Because of Papa," Evadne said softly.

Lady Addelin's eyebrows rose. "I'm sure we all miss, but he is dead now," she said bluntly.

Evadne looked up, her blue eyes filling with tears. She could have put it more nicely. That he had passed away or was gone now, but she could not stand hearing it put in such simple terms, not yet.

"Don't start crying again!" Lady Addelin commanded.

Evadne choked back her tears. "Yes, Ma'am," she said, wiping at her wet face with the sleeve of her black, mourning dress.

"I don't want to see you crying and feeling sorry for yourself ever again. It's not as if you're the only one the least bit troubled by his death. I was his wife, after all!" she paused for effect.

Evadne said or did nothing to betray any feeling at the lady's sentiments.

After a moment, she went on. "Now I want you to go to your room and don't come down here and disturb me or any of my friends," she said, glancing back into the room of people. "Beth and Katie will be waiting to fit you for more black dresses, as we will be in mourning for a year."

Evadne nodded.

"Well, go along now!"

Evadne turned to Sara and they both started to walk away, to Evadne's room, while Lady Addelin returned to her parlor and guests.

When they reached Evadne's room, the two maids were there were their material and pins, ready to make several dresses. It was too much for the girl to see the portrait of her father on the wall and imagine being fitted for dress to mourn for _him._ She let out something between a sigh and a sob.

"Can't you all just leave me alone!" she said.

Sara and the maids exchanged glances.

"Beth, Katie," Sara said. "You heard her. We can do this later."

The girls nodded and silently left the room.

"Are you alright?" Sara asked tenderly, placing her hand on the child's shoulder.

"No, I'm not alright! Leave me be!" Evadne shouted.

The governess nodded and sadly paced out of the room.

Once alone, Evadne sighed deeply. She went out onto her balcony, which overlooked the entire estate. She breathed in the crisp, cool air, concentrating just on that one thing. Breathing. In and out again. She closed her eyes.

It started to rain, softly at first, then becoming harder, pouring out of the clouds, rhythmically beating on the ground. Evadne watched it, entranced. It was more than just listening and watching, she could feel it. Deep within in, resounding to the very depths of her being. The drops seemed to fall in beat with her heart.

She smiled softly. She'd had this experience before, but only on a few occasions. Her father and her, when they listened to the rain, used to be able to touch and have this same feeling that she had now. It helped her feel better, comforted. Like her father was still with her, although he was gone. And he could never be taken from her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Scrub those floors!" 

"What!" Evadne asked of her step-mother. She had no idea what she'd done to make the woman hate her so or be so unnecessarily cruel to her.

"You heard me, we don't have a lot of money, and I've had to let a lot of servants go. We need someone to do the work. Now scrub!"

Evadne opened her mouth, then shut it. This wasn't fair, she wasn't a servant! She numbly walked to the kitchen.

"What are you doing here, Darling?" Beth asked.

"Lady Addelin told me to scrub the floor," she said slowly.

The maids all looked shocked.

"But you are the lady of the house!" Katie said.

"No, Lady Addelin is," Evadne replied solemnly. "She has control over us all."

They all cast her sympathetic looks as Beth got her some water in a bucket.

"Here you go, Darling, and use this to scrub," she said, handing her a sponge. "I'm terribly sorry you have to do this, but I think it's best if you just go along with it for now. Mistress would likely have our heads for doing it for you. But if you need help don't hesitate to call any of us."

Evadne nodded and took the bucket and sponge. She went and slowly began to wash the long halls of the manor. It was exhausting and back-breaking work. The hot water scalded her hands and her arms burned from the scrubbing motions.

When she was at last done, and sitting on the floor just resting, Lady Addelin came by.

She gave a thin-lipped smile. "Good. Now get to the yard work," she said connivingly, as she turned on her heel and walked away.

Evadne stared after her. This was ridiculous! She was hardly more than a child, and a noble one at that! She should not have been working like this, she was not a slave. But in the next few years, a slave she was to become.

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People said that Avalon was a magical place. It was times like this that Evadne believed it. She stood in a field of rye that stretched out far before the forest rose like a dark, emerald wall. Wild flowers mingled among the rye, dotting the field with bright yellows and pinks. The sun shone brightly, yet small drops of rain fell to the ground. It was exhilarating.

In the years since her father's death and her conversion to a servant of the Lady Addelin, Evadne had grown up lovely. Her skin was fair, even fairer than Lady Addelin's, and her eyes were a pale, iridescent blue. Her hair was a light blonde, with an almost silver gleam to it.

She took in the sights, of the rain and the sun, and let herself just breathe. She needed this, this time away from chores, away from Lady Addelin. Time to just think. Of her father, of life, of everything.

"Evadne!" she turned her head in the direction of the call. One of the servants, Marcus, was running towards her.

"What is it?" she asked.

He stopped when he reached her, breathing hard. "Evadne, you must leave here, leave Avalon forever."

Evadne frowned. "Why would I do that? This is my home."

Marcus shook his head. "_She_, Lady Addelin, she wants you dead. She told me to kill you. But I can't do it, Evadne. You must leave."

"She—she wants to kill me?" Evadne stammered. She knew Lady Addelin hated her, but actually killing her...that was something different. "Why?"

"I don't know, she just wants you dead. You must leave Avalon, Evadne, and quickly, before she finds out that I'm not obeying her!"

"But why Avalon? I can leave here, but entirely leave Avalon, Marcus, I can't do that! Where would I go? This is the only place in the world that I know. I would be lost anywhere else."

"She'll find you anywhere in Avalon, Evadne, she's—she's not natural. You need to go—now."

"Marcus, I think you're overreacting. Avalon is my home. My father lived and died here. I willn't leave him and all of my memories here. I'm staying in Avalon."

Marcus shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Evadne, I hate to do this, but I have to," he said. He brought his gun up, and before Evadne could move, he had smashed it on her head. Everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Evadne awoke in small wooden boat, washed up on the shore of a land she'd never seen before. She quickly sat up, trying to recall what had happened. Then she remembered. Marcus had hit her, knocking her out with his gun, and probably stuck her in this boat to ship her away from Avalon. 

In the distance, she could just make out another land. She assumed that it was Avalon, though in truth it could have been any one of the many isles in that area. She considered pushing her boat back out and trying to get back to Avalon, but she highly doubted she could get back there, without even a paddle to steer her. In fact, it was rather amazing that she had wound up anywhere at all, rather than still adrift out in the channels.

Evadne climbed out of the boat, and turned her attention to this strange, new land. She could not see much of it, due to the high evergreen forest that rose up, nearly touching the water. One thing she could see though, four grey towers rose up, higher than the forest that seemed to cover much of the land. It was comforting to think that wherever she was, it was inhabited.

She would have gone to the towers first, but she had a great curiosity as to whether she was on one of the isles, or some larger continent. She walked along the beach and came back to the boat in two hours, more or less. It was an isle, and a very small one.

The next thing to do was to get to the towers and find people. Evadne gazed at the forest for a time, she had a strange feeling about it. She drew a deep breath and stepped forward, plunging herself into the trees.

The forest had the deep, woody smell, of damp earth and wild things that grow. Evadne breathed it deeply. It was delicious. The trees were huge, with trunks so wide she couldn't fit her arms around them if she tried. It was silent, too, except for the occasional gusts of wind that would ripple through the branches.

Evadne couldn't help the feeling that there was something mystical about it. She wasn't sure what, but the whole island seemed...enchanted somehow. When the wind came through the trees, it felt as though it blew around her in circles, playing with her hair and caressing her cheeks. It was mostly dark in the forest, though in places the wood would thin out and the sun would come streaming down with warmth and light.

Evadne had no idea how long she walked, but after a time, she reached one of the towers. It was very, very tall and had a high, sharp-looking spire. Evadne went to the high, arched door and raised the knocker, then let it fall against the wood. It made a very loud, pounding sound; she was sure that whoever lived there would hear it. She stood for a long while, and no sound came. Not the footsteps of someone come to meet her, not even the call of a bird.

_Well, I'm sure I'll have better luck at the next tower,_ she thought, and started to make her way once more. As she turned to go, she saw an enormous garden of beautiful flowers. She frowned; she did not recall it being there before, though she might have simply not noticed.

Evadne walked to them, it was not as if it would deter her for long. There were all types of flowers, daisies, roses, lilies, forget-me-knots, and many she did not know the names of. They were all arrayed and dotted about in a way that was mostly pleasing to the eye and their sweet perfume lazily drifted up to her. The wind came in gently breezes, making the flowers bow and quiver.

Evadne stayed wandering among them for longer than she had first envisioned, but soon enough she remembered her mission and started in the direction of the next tower. She walked quickly, not taking much notice of her surroundings this time, and soon arrived at the second tower. It was almost an exact replica of the first. It was grey, with the spire on top, and the garden of flowers nearby it.

Once again, Evadne lifted the knocker and let it fall back with a loud clang. Again she stood in silence. No one came, nothing moved, absolutely nothing happened. She didn't dally in the garden, she started off to the next tower immediately. It had to be inhabited, didn't it? But she had a growing sense of unease.

The scene was repeated at the third tower, and she took off running to the fourth. When she was within site of the fourth grey tower, she slowed down, trying to calm herself. But again, the only answer to her knock was the wind's melancholy whistle. Evadne looked about, desperately, nearly in tears. She didn't know what to do, and there was something about the isle that just didn't seem quite right.

Eventually, she made up her mind to go inside the tower. She grabbed the handle of the door, readying herself to try and thrust it open. To her surprise, it slid open easily. She walked inside. First, there was a long, winding staircase. When Evadne finally reached the top, she was breathing hard. For all her work to get there, there was very little to see. It looked as though it had gone untouched by human hands for years. There was hardly any furniture, just one table and one chair. Leaves were scattered on the floor, no doubt from the open window she could now see.

She rushed to the window, hoping that from there she could see another building, one that people did live in. There was nothing but trees. Then she looked closer. There was something there, something hardly recognizable to the eye, but she could just make it out. She had no idea what it was. It was a circular shape, that almost seemed to glow. Evadne decided that she must go to it and see for herself what strange thing it might be.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a mirror, Evadne could see the bright reflection before she got there. She walked all the way around it, the entire thing was a mirror. Except for the one wooden door. The door was dark mahogany and carved with intricate lines and strange designs. She pulled the handle and stepped inside. 

The inside was mirror as well. The top was open, so she could see the blue sky and the tops of the trees. The floor was a mirror, though a bit dirty and full of leaves. And the sides were all mirrors. She could faintly make out where each pane stopped and the next began, but it almost looked like it was just a circular mirror. Evadne could not think of any use for the place, besides getting a view of yourself from every angle.

After observing the place a moment longer, Evadne could find nothing else very remarkable about it. True, it was a very strange structure, but there really seemed no use for it. She went through the door and out into the woods again.

Evadne wandered about rather aimlessly, exploring the shadowy wood. She had no idea where she was going, but she didn't really mind. The most unsettling thing, though, was the silence. There was no birds, no animals of any sort, it seemed. It was unnatural. And the air, it was thick with magic. She could feel it, almost, taste it, smell it. The whole isle seemed enchanted somehow.

She heard a twig crack under the foot of something, something alive. She peered out from behind the thick tree she was by, and was shocked to see Lady Addelin. _What in the world is she doing here?,_ Addelin thought. The woman seemed to know exactly where she was doing, and didn't even cast a glance in Evadne's direction.

Evadne took off her shoes, in order to be quieter and started to follow her step-mother through the forest. They walked quickly, and straight to the mirror circle. Lady Addelin went inside; Evadne stayed out, but close enough to hear what was going on.

Lady Addelin's voice came loud and clear, "Mirror, Mirror, of circled wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

The answer came in a whispered voice, sweet and terrible all at once, "It is she, fair of hair, and blue of eyes, who speaks in tongues of river and rain. The Lady Evadne."

Evadne had not heard herself called a Lady in a very long time, much less the fairest of them all. And the tongues of river and water? Surely, it could not speak of her.

Lady Addelin's voice came smugly in reply, "She cannot be, for she is dead."

"No," the voice said firmly.

"What do you mean? She's dead, I had her killed myself."

"In a boat that drifts downriver, washing up and waking thither."

"I see," Lady Addelin said coldly. The lady came out then and proceeded to leave. Evadne followed her to the shore, it was on a different side then the one she had washed up on, or she would have found her boat.

Lady Addelin had her own boat, it was bigger and more steady looking than Evadne's. She had oars, too. Evadne watched her paddle away, feeling quite alone and apart from the rest of the world.

Evadne stood on the shore for a long time, staring out at the water, and considering taking her boat and leaving. She knew it would be futile, though, she didn't even know where she was. The river was bound to have currents, as well; she could not navigate without an oar.

The sun began to sink, setting the sky ablaze with colors. It was golden, and rose colored, with a bit of violet and sapphire mixed in as well. It was beautiful, but it also reminded Evadne that she needed to get somewhere for the night. She'd go back to one of the towers, and sleep there, though the thought nearly made her shudder. It had to be better than nothing.

She didn't know her way very well yet, and came to the mirror before reaching a tower. It was getting dusk then, and a few stars had started to appear in the heavens. She looked at the mirror, considering. She opened the door and went inside. It was quiet, not a sound.

Shadowy reflections of reflections could be seen in the glass. When she looked closely, it almost looked like the glass was cracked. She put her hand to it. It was something like spiderwebs, dropped with dew, covering the entire mirror. It seemed to only magnify the reflections.

Evadne bit her lip, then started softly, "Mirror, Mirror, of circled wall...where am I?"

"Shalott," came the whispered reply.

"Shalott. And where is that?"

"Downriver of Avalon and Camelot."

Evadne nodded slightly. "Well...thank you."

She left then, and hurried back to one of the four towers. She had found talking to the mirror a most unsettling—and rather disturbing experience.


	5. Chapter 5

Evadne awoke to the sun streaming down on her through the open windows. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying on the cold, stone floor in one of the four towers. It was morning now, and she needed to devise a plan to get off of the isle. She thrust her hand into the pocket of her dress and happily pulled out three matches. 

She left the tower and walked the distance to the shore. She struck one of the matches on a tree. It lit up in an orange flame. She tossed it into the leaves. It flickered out. She lit another; the result was the same. She fingered the last match. She lit it, watched it for a moment, and carefully held to a single leaf. The leaf would not catch fire. Evadne had to toss the match in order to save herself from being burnt. The fire immediately died when it hit the ground.

Evadne frowned, feeling very frustrated. She walked into the forest, trying to figure out another plan. Soft breezes fluttered through the fluorescent green leaves and darker needles of the many trees. Evadne spotted some reddish-purple berries. She immediately picked some and put them into her mouth, not caring whether they were poison or not. They were delicious, the perfect degree of sweet and sour. She ate ravenously, realizing just how hungry she was. The juice stained her hands, leaving behind bright crimson blotches.

Evadne walked to the river, washed off her hands, then just stood, listening. She liked the soft, rushing sound it made. It was nice to hear something besides the wind, and her own breathing. Evadne waded into the water up to her thighs. Her dress fanned out and floated beside her. She closed her eyes. It felt wonderful, so fresh and cool. It felt like times with Father, dancing in the rain.

After a time, she came out again and went back to the forest. She walked to the towers and opened each one, hoping to find something—anything. They were each exact replicas of each other. Cold, grey, and bear. It was rather disconcerting. The silence, too, was nerve wrecking. There should have been some noise, something should have been moving. Things should have been living.

Evadne started for the mirrors, with no particular goal in mind. She opened the door and stood for a moment, surveying her own face.

"Why am I here?" she asked, after a minute.

"You washed up here," came the voice's simple answer.

Evadne frowned. "But—but—what's wrong with this place?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are there no birds?!"

At that instant, a dove came flying and cooing out of a tree. A woodpecker could be heard, beating its beak into a tree. Songbirds started chirping; the isle came alive.

"What—how...?"

"There are birds," said the mirror.

"I—I see," Evadne said. "I think I'll go now." She walked back outside, feeling very confused.

A blue jay came and sat on her shoulder, twirping away at her. She frowned at it a moment, then smiled. She held up her hand, and the bird flew to her wrist. She mimicked its sounds. It seemed she had found a friend. After a while, it flew away, into some tree. Evadne was not sorry, for many other birds also came to her throughout her walk through the forest. She did not feel nearly as alone as she had.

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Evadne had spent a few days on the isle. She didn't hate it anymore, in fact, she almost liked it. But she could not stay here, all alone, forever. She walked to the mirror, determined to somehow find a way to get off the isle. It was a cool, misty evening with a rather dreamy feel to it. When she looked out into the distance, she could almost envision dancing, ghost-like figures in the mist. She stepped into the glassy room.

"Mirror, Mirror, of circled wall..." she stopped, considering what to say. "how do I get away from here?"

"Evadne, Evadne, maiden so fair," the mirror answered, "what will it take to keep you here?"

It started to rain then, softly and slowly getting harder. The drops made distinct, tinkling sounds on the mirror's floor. Evadne felt dazed. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but she hardly noticed. All she hear was the rain, magnified and playing over and over again, almost defeaning. It was like it was taking over, completely overpowering her. Memories of her father bounced around in her mind. She could see them clearly in the mirror, all around her, on every side. It was hard to see, and yet exhilarating at the same time. She fell down to the floor of the mirror. She had tears running down her cheeks. She felt something beneath her hands.

It was a thread, thin and silky, like that of a spider's. She looked around and realized that it was strung all around her, in a myriad of rainbow colors, standing out starkly against the grey surroundings. She stood up and looked at the threads. It was like there was an invisible loom in front of her. She glanced at the memories of her father, still playing in the glass. She started to weave the threads together, forming the intricate picture exactly. Of Father and daughter, holding hands, the rain pouring down.

She had no idea how long it lasted, indeed she could hardly remember it stopping, but she suddenly seemed to wake up. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and she was holding a brilliant tapestry in her hands.

"I—I think I'll stay here—at least for a while," she said, moving out of the mirror circle, planning to take the tapestry to the tower she had slept in before. The only answer was the shivering breeze.

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Evadne stood in the mirror room. She wanted something to happen, but nothing seemed to be going to. She wanted the mirror to show her something, or have her weave something.

"Was it just a one time thing, then?" she yelled at the mirror.

Suddenly the mirror lit up, with an image of some young girls, strolling through a meadow. There was a castle in the background, and they were laughing and chattering amongst themselves. Evadne stared at it. She'd never had friends like that.

"Where is it?" Evadne asked.

"They are the ladies-in-waiting at the castle Camelot."

Evadne nodded and stared wistfully at the girls. She became aware of the threads, again, hanging in front of her. She started to weave. It made her feel light and happy to weave such a whimsical picture. It was not the same feeling as before, but nonetheless enjoyable.

In time, she had another tapestry, just as lovely as before. Sunny and happy-go-lucky. She smiled, and prepared to leave.

"So—how do I know when I can do this? Is it whenever, or just...?"

A strange sound came, it rather sounded like the mirror was laughing at her. "You may weave when you wish, my lady."

Evadne frowned. She was the mirror's lady now? Well, that couldn't really be a bad thing. She smiled and started to hum to herself, as she merrily walked back to her tower.


	6. Chapter 6

Evadne tripped through the forest, meandering all about, breathing deeply of the fresh pine. Birds chirped, the wind blew, sun shone; all in all, it was a perfect day. Then she heard something. It was Lady Addelin, come again to the magic mirror. Evadne followed her again, to listen to the lady's conversation with the mirror. 

"Mirror, Mirror, of circled wall, do pray tell, where is the fairest of them all?"

"Shalott does not cater to your every whim anymore. Shalott has a new lady," came the voice of the mirror, firm and adamant.

"A—a—you cannot!"

"But we do. Now I would ask of you to leave."

Evadne could tell Lady Addelin was not happy.

"And tell me of this lady," Addelin said.

"Not of her choice, she came to stay. Content is she, to weave and weave, delighting in rain, and charming birds."

"Hmmph!" came Addelin's indignant reply. She came out swiftly and and stomped towards shore. Evadne followed her.

The lady was just to get into her boat, when she must have heard Evadne's step. She whipped her head around to see her.

"You, Evadne?" Lady Addelin seemed highly amused. "Don't tell me you are the Lady of Shalott?"

Evadne said nothing, just stared at her with head held high.

Addelin snapped her finger out; a fireball came roaring towards Evadne. Before it hit her, it stopped, midair, shuddered and died out.

"You cannot hurt me here, Step-mother," Evadne said.

Lady Addelin's eyes narrowed. "I see," she said coldly. "You are a fool, Evadne. Curse be on you, if you stay here." She turned back to her boat.

"One more thing," Evadne said. "Don't ever come back here."

Lady Addelin glanced at her, frowned, and pushed her boat into the river, then jumped into it. In a moment, she was gone.

Evadne watched her go. "A curse?" she whispered, but only to the birds. She shrugged. "What can she really do to me? Nothing."

She smiled and skipped around. She was the Lady of Shalott. It had a nice ring to it.

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It was early morning and the sun was shining down brightly. The earth still smelled like dew and the grass was damp. It was intoxicating. Delicious. Delightful.

Morning doves cooed softly, slowly awakening the world. Evadne walked slowly, just taking it all in. She reached the circle mirrors and stepped inside. For a moment she said nothing, and just looked at herself. Her hair was very long, down to her hips in buttery tones and flat waves. Her eyes were light and clear blue. _Well, it seems that being on a deserted isle hasn't ruined my youth, _she thought with a laugh.

"Mirror, Mirror, of circled wall, show me something to weave!"

"That wasn't a very poetic command," the mirror answered, rather dryly.

"And that wasn't something very magical of you to say," Evadne in turn observed.

A picture appeared in the mirror, of young shepherd boy with curly hair and many freckles. He was surrounded by fluffy, white sheep. Evadne smiled. It was such a sweet, innocent scene. It seemed to be reflecting on the dew drops that covered the mirror. It stood out, like it was right in front of her. She felt like a part of the scene, herding the sheep as well. She could sense the iridescent threads in front of her. She let her hands move to them, and weaved, quickly, steadily.

Evadne was lost in the world of blue skies and white sheep. She was little aware of the actual weaving process, her hands just moved rhythmically, as if in time to some song that played. A sheep-herding song. Of lazy clouds, soft breezes and slow-moving sheep.

After a time it was over, she woke from her dream-like experience, with yet another tapestry in her hands. It was perfect, the picture was exactly as it had been. She would soon be filling up her tower with all of them.


	7. Chapter 7

Snowflakes sparkled and glittered as they drifted lazily to the ground, settling themselves in the high drifts of snow. Everything was silent, but for the occasional bird call, due to the insulation of the snow. It was peaceful, the type of weather that would make one wish to curl up and sleep and sleep. 

Evadne, though, had other plans. In the mirror-room, she watched the white flakes fall, then melt on the glass, leaving wet and rather slippery.

"Mirror, Mirror, of circled wall, show me scenes from Avalon home."

The mirror at once lit with a family sledding in the snow. There was a mother, father, and four children. They were laughing and talking and sledding quickly down the hills of white. For a moment, Evadne just stared at them. She'd never really had a family, like that. She'd had her father of course, but since he'd died she'd had no one. She rather felt that she was missing out on something, though she wasn't quite sure what it was.

After a few moments she picked up the thin threads and began to weave them into a perfect picture. She soon had another tapestry. She then started home, to her tower. The dark green pine trees were covered in sparkling white snow and cold, clear icicles hung from their branches. Sometimes the wind could be heard, blowing through them; they'd shake and shiver and some of the snow would plop to the ground.

Evadne smiled. This was home, and it was lovely. If anyone was missing out, it was the people she saw in the mirror, not her. For she was the one who lived in this gorgeous place, not they.

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The bright sun flooded down its warmth and light. The snow melted, the ground began to appear once more. Grass shot up in bright, fluorescent patches, followed by sweet-smelling flowers. Winter was over and spring had come. The world came alive again, with noise and green everywhere. In the meadows the flowers could be seen slowly opening in the dewy mornings, then closing in the misty evenings. Shalott was heaven in the summer. Summer faded into fall, as the leaves changed to crimson and yellow, then drifted on the back of the wind to the soft earth. The ground crunched under one's feet and the dried leaves crackled. The weather turned cold, and the first snow dotted the ground in white. The seasons all faded into one another, time and again.

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Evadne stared at the grey wall in front of her. She had been in Shalott for a long time. She wasn't sure how long, just that it had been more than a few winters since she'd been in Avalon. And she was happy, or at least she thought she was. Now she wasn't so sure. She had a funny feeling, like she'd been left behind, left out of something.

When she looked at her reflection each time she went to weave, she was exactly the same as when she had come. She couldn't explain it, she had simply not aged. It was strange. Evadne had the feeling of just wanting to go home, only she _was_ home. The manor was not home, not since Father had died. Shalott was all she'd known for years. Yet...it was missing something.

Evadne stood in the middle of the mirror room. The mirror showed a picture of two young lovers, having a picnic in the grass. They were laughing and talking and looked so happy and in love. The sun shone brightly, different from Shalott. In Shalott, even when the sun did shine, there were shadows somewhere. And cold, damp mists. Usually, it was lovely, adding to the enchanted feel, but Evadne would have died for a sunny picnic. One cold tear dripped down her cheek. The picture vanished.

"Evadne, Evadne, maiden fair, why do your eyes fill with tears?" the mirror questioned.

Evadne quickly swiped the tear away. "I'm fine. I'm just—a little, sick of shadows, I guess. I'm going to go back—get some sleep."

She left the mirror in a hurry. She didn't understand, she used to love Shalott! But it seemed that the pictures in the mirror always were of something she didn't have, something she wanted. She really couldn't think what. Of course, there were people, but people had never meant much to her. She didn't have friends, really, most people were cruel. They let you down, or else died. The birds had been better friends. But the reason could not put the feelings at bay.


	8. Chapter 8

Evadne stood in the mirror; it was a cool morning. She was not nearly as distressed as she had been the other day, in fact was feeling quite happy. The sun came down in bright streaks of warmth, and when she exhaled, her breath could be seen in floating mists. Everything felt fresh and clean. 

"Mirror, Mirror, of circled wall, show me a picture of Camelot fair, and I will weave with special care," Evande said.

A picture came, it was a knight. He rode a large white stallion through fields of barley. His hair was curly and black as night, but his eyes were the blue of watery depths. He looked grand, with his fine shield with the red cross and his glittering silver sword. But it was not only his handsomeness that drew Evadne to him, it was something else. His face looked kind, only marked with lines from laughter. As he turned she could see his eyes better, and it seemed that she could understand him completely. And he was perfect.

The threads hung in front of her, glittering and shining, but she paid no attention. _Curse be on you, if you stay,_ her step-mother's words seemed to hang in the air in front of her. She frowned. That was years ago; she's stayed for a long while and no curse had come upon her. She had no reason to be thinking of it now.

Her gaze was still lingering on the knight. "I—I'm leaving," Evadne said. As she did so, a thunderous crack pierced in to the quiet. The mirror split in two, an enormous crack running through it. Evadne stared, then ran.

"The curse is upon me," she said, though the only one listening was herself.

She ran through the forest to the shore. Her boat, from all those years ago, was still there. She pushed it out, and jumped in. The current pushed her swiftly away. Evadne felt—odd. Different, somehow. She had a feeling she knew why. She understood now.

The curse, was not one her step-mother had laid, it was the curse of Shalott, that beautiful, yet terrible place. She'd never age, never die there. Yet she wouldn't really live either. She'd never love, never have friends, never do anything. She'd just drift through life, only watching it through the glass panes of a looking glass. That wasn't living.

Now she was leaving, so now she would die. Surprisingly, she felt quite calm about it. And she was in the river. She'd always loved rivers. There was a sharp stick in the boat. Truly, there were many sticks and leaves and such, it had been lying there untouched for so long. She took the stick and sat at the prow of the boat, carving her name into the wood. _The Lady of Shalott._

She sighed, and watched Shalott grow smaller and smaller, til it was only a dot on the horizon. Avalon was close, but she doubted she would make it there. She lay down in the boat; she was not sure how she would meet her death yet, but sleeping had to make things easier.

Evadne closed her eyes, and listened to the softly splashing water. She could feel it, too, almost like her own heartbeat. In a few moments, she was lost to the world around her, lost in the watery depths.

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"Why, Lancelot, would ya look at that!" a knight called to his friend.

The dark haired, blue-eyed knight strode over. He spotted the lady, washed up on shore. Her eyes were closed, she almost had a smile on her face, framed by her light, silvery hair. She was lovely, really. "She must have just recently drowned. Pity."

"But look, ain't that her boat?"

True enough, a small, wooden boat was a ways down shore from her. The other knight dragged it over. They inspected it, and spotted, written on the prow _The Lady of Shalott._

"Shalott, eh?" Lancelot said. "I've never heard of such a place. My, but she has a pretty face. I wonder who she is and why she died."

"Well, my guess is, she couldn't handle her boat very well. Must have capsized, then got righted by the waves, or something."

"Perhaps," Lancelot said. Though, there was something about her that made her think otherwise. She had an air of...elegance. She looked like she would be able to handle a boat herself. She would have died of something else, something more tragic and dramatic. Or maybe he was such being a romantic.

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Ah, tis tragically over! A bit thank you hug to Scoutcraft Piratess for reviewing every chapter, and being pretty much my only reviewer. :) But thanks, as well to those of you who reviewed a chapter or two!


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